Bottle closure



C. MUSY BOTTLE CLOSURE Oct. 24, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 4, 1966INVENTOR.

C/M RLES M US) WWW ATTOR C. M USY BOTTLE CLOSURE Oct. 24, 1967 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 4, 1966 INVENTOR. CHARL 5 MUS) M/Z W 6% v ATTOE YS Oct. 24, 1967 C. M USY BOTTLE CLOSURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan.4, 1966 INVENTOR.

CW/IRL 5 MUS) United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A metalcap of twist-off type is provided with a skirt which remains on thebottle, a cap separable from the skirt, perforations between cap andskirt the edges of which are aligned to take the thrust of application.

The present invention relates to closures for containers andparticularly to a screw type closure cap which is inviolable because ofa lower portion of the skirt of the cap which is breakably connected tothe upper portion and crimped on the neck of the container so that theconnection breaks when the cap is unscrewed for the first time. Thelower portion of the skirt remains around the neck of the container whenthe upper part of the cap is unscrewed so that breakage of theconnection between the two parts, by revealing when the container hasbeen opened, deters unauthorized tampering with or pilferage of thecontents of the container before it is initially opened by the personintended.

Inviolable closure caps of the type under consideration are known in theart. They are made of a suitable deformable material, such as aluminumfoil in the form of a deep cup having a closed end and are partiallypreformed to have an elongated tubular skirt adapted to fit down overthe open-ended neck of a container and be crimped in place. Thecontainers for which these caps are used have an elongated cylindricalneck open at the outer end with exterior screw threads at the open endand an undercut downward facing annular shoulder below the screwthreads. When the cap is fitted down over the neck, the skirt extendsdown past the screw thread to a point below an annular shoulder. Theskirt is then crimped to produce screw threads therein mating with thescrew threads on the neck and to crimp the lower portion of the skirtunder the annular shoulder. The annular weakened portion of the skirtbetween the shoulder and the screw threads which provides theaforementioned breakable connection between the upper and lower parts ofthe skirt is formed by a plurality of perforations or cuts spaced apartin a line circumferentially around the skirt with narrow bridge portionsbetween the upper and lower portions of the skirt. The bridge portionsare intended to be broken when the two portions of the cap are movedrelatively apart by unscrewing the cap and should therefore be quitefragile in order to break without having to apply excessive force tounscrew the cap and open the container.

When the partially preformed cap is fitted down in position over theneck of the container the bottom end of the skirt is forced down tightlyover a flared portion of the neck below the annular shoulder and thepressure thus applied to the cap to push it down over the neck veryoften causes the annular weakened portion to buckle and break.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a partiallypreformed cap of the type under consideration in which the cuts andbridge portions of the annular weakened portion are formed in a mannerto resist being buckled and broken when the cap is initially forced downover the neck and yet have the desired fragility to be broken by aconvenient amount of force when the cap is unscrewed.

The objects of the invention are accomplished in general by a pluralityof elongated horizontal cuts through the skirt spaced apart in a linecircumferentially around the skirt with narrow bridge portions betweenin which edge portions of the opposite lips of each cut in abuttingcontact thereby to supplement the resistance of the bridge portions tocompression.

In accordance with the present invention, the cuts are made and edgeportions of the opposite lips of each cut are aligned and pressed intoabutting contact. In the preferred method of practicing the invention,the cutting, aligning and the pressing of the aligned edges intoabutting contact is performed in a single operation by an appropriatetool or tools with the cap supported on a suitable mandrel.

In one form of the invention the opposite lips of the cuts are offsetrelative to each other and the edges of the lips are in abutting contactalong substantially their entire lengths a lateral amount which is lessthan the thickness of the skirt.

In another form the lips of each cut are offset and one of the lips isbulged laterally back toward the opposite lip with a portion of the edgeof the bulged lip aligned and in abutting contact with the edge of theopposite lip an amount equal to at least a part of the thickness of theskirt. The bulged parts of the lips thus form ribs which resistcompression of the cap at points along the cuts between the bridgeportions. In a preferred embodiment of this form of the invention anannular bulge is provided in the skirt at the line of cuts so that thecuts, bridge portions and bulges or ribs are formed in the annularbulge, which thus preserves the inside diameter of the skirt in the zonein which some of the lips are offset by being bent toward the interiorof the cap.

In still another form of the invention, the edges of the lips arebrought together in abutting contact by pressing areas of'the skirtextending across each cut to cause the material of the cap to creep andmove aligned edge portions of the cuts into abutting contact.

In all forms of the invention, the resistance of the bridge portions ofthe annular weakened portion to compression when the cap is press fittedover the container neck is supplemented by the portions of the edges ofopposite lips of each out which are in abutting contact in accordancewith the invention.

It will be appreciated that the present invention is also applicablewhen the annular weakened portion of the cap is provided by more thanone circumferential line of cuts in the skirt.

The above and further objects and novel features of the presentinvention will more fully appear from the following detailed descriptionwhen the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. Itis to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for thepurpose of illustration only and are not intended as a definition of thelimits of the invention, reference for this latter purpose being hadprimarily to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like partsthroughout the several views,

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing an embodiment ofclosure cap in accordance with the present invention crimped in sealingposition on the neck of a container;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation similar to FIG. 1 but showing the upper bodyof the cap partially unscrewed and separated from the lower end;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a partially preformed cap 3 of theinvention ready to be fitted over the neck of a container;

FIG. 4 is a partial section along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3 in a horizontalplane through the ,cuts forming the annular weakened portion of the cap;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical section through part of a cap and throughthe form of cut in the skirt shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 in which the lowerlips of the cuts are offset inwardly relative to the upper lips;

FIG. 6 is a section similar to FIG. 5, but showing an embodiment inwhich the skirt has an annular bulge formed therein at the line of cuts;

FIG. 7 is a section similar to FIG; 5, but showing the upper lip of thecut offset inwardly with respect to the lower lip;

FIG. 8 is a section similar to FIG. 7, but showing the upper lip offsetoutwardly;

FIG. 9 is a vertical section at right angles through a cut in the skirtof a cap showing an area of the skirt across the cut compressed to athickness less than the thickness of the remainder of the skirt;

FIG. 10 is a section similar to FIG. 9, but showing an embodiment havingtwo parallel lines of cuts with the vertical portion between the cutsoffset laterally from the plane of the skirt an amount less than thethickness of the skirt;

FIG. 11 is a-section similar to FIG. 10 showing two parallel lines ofcuts but showing an embodiment in which an area of the skirt across bothcuts is compressed;

FIG. 12 is a side elevation of an embodiment of a partially preformedcap of the invention in which the skirt has an annular bulge at the lineof cuts and the lips of each out are offset with a lateral bulge or ribin one of the lips of each cut extending from the lip with an edgethereof in abutting contact with the edge of the opposite lip;

FIG. 13 is a section along the line 1313 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged section along the line 14-14 of FIG. 12 taken atright angles through a bridge portion between cuts;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged section along the lines 15-15 of FIG. 12 taken atright angles through a lateral bulge or rib in the lower lip of a cut,whichis shown with an edge in abutting contact with the edge of theupper lip; and

FIG. 16 is an enlarged section along the lines 1616 of FIG. 12 taken atright angles through a cut at a point which is between a bridge portionshown in FIG. 15 and a bulge or rib shown in FIG. 15.

Referring to the drawings, the closure caps 10 of the present inventionare made of deformable material such as aluminum foil which is suitably0.25 mm. thick :10%. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 12, caps in accordance withthe invention are preformed with a top 11 and an elongated tubular skirt12 adapted to be fitted over and crimped on the cylindrical neck 13 of acontainer as illustrated in FIG. 1. An annular indentation 14 in theskirt 12 near the ,top holds a liner, such as a liner 15 of cork orother suitable material inside the top of the cap 10 to seal the openend of the neck 13 when the cap is in position.

The container necks 13 on which caps 10 of this invention are adapted tobe .used are open at the outer top end with exterior screw threads 16around the top and an annular undercut downward-facing shoulder 17spaced down on the neck below the-threads 16. The skirts 12 of the cap10 are elongated so that when a cap 10 is in position on a neck 13, thecap has a lower skirt portion extending below the screw threads. 12 andbelow the shoulder 17.The portion of theneck 13 below the shoulder 17flares gradually outward and when the cap 10 is fitted down over theneck the bottom of the skirt is expanded over the flared portion of theneck so that downward pressure must be exerted on the cap to force itdown into position. When the cap is in position it is crimped to formscrew threads 18 in the upper end of the skirt mating with the screwthreads 16 of the container neck 13 and indent the lower skirt portionunder the annular shoulder 17, as indicated by the indentation 19 inFIGS. 1 and 2.

The cap 10 is provided with an annular weakened portion formed by aplurality of elongated horizontal cuts 20 through the skirt 12 andspaced apart, with narrow bridge portions 21 left between, in a linecircumferentially around the skirt so as to be below the screw threads18 and above the indentation 19 when the cap.

is crimped on the neck. The bridge portions 21 between the cuts 20connect the portions of the skirt above and below the line of cuts andare made narrow so as to break without excessive force when the upperportion of the cap is unscrewed to open the container. The portion ofthe skirt below the line of cuts 20 is held down on the neck 13 by theindentation 19 under the shoulder 17 so that the bridge portions 21break when the upper portion is moved relatively apart from the lowerportion by unscrewing the cap. Thus, as seen inFIG. 2, when the cap isunscrewed the lower portion of the skirt is separated from the upperportion and remains on the container to indicate that the container hasbeen opened.

In accordance with the present invention, the annular weakened portionofv the skirt 12 is formed so that it withstands compressive pressure onthe cap and is not broken prematurely when the cap 10 is pushed downover the neck 13 preparatory to being crimped on the.

neck. This is provided in general by having the upper and lower lips, 22and 23 respectively, of each cut 20 in abutting edge-to-edge contact forat least a part of their lengthsLaterally the abutting edges may be incontact an amount less than the thickness of the skirt. In this way, theresistance of the bridge portions 21 to compression is supplemented bythe abutting edge portions of the lips 22 and 23 of each cut 20 whichpermits the cap 10 to be pressedonto the neck 13 without buckling andbreaking the bridge portions 21; at the same time it does not impair thedesired fragility of the annular weakened portion which allows it tobreak readily when pressure is applied to unscrew the cap 10.

theskirt 12-as by pushing the lower lip 23inward in this embodiment-thebridge portions 21 are given a.

greater degree of curvature than the skirt at the line of the cuts 20.That is, looking from the exterior of the cap 10, the bridge portions 21are convex reiative to the overall curved surface of the skirt and thushave an added increment of rigidity to resist compression.

With at least portions of the edges of opposite lips 22 and 23 of eachcut in alignment as described, the cap 10 is compressed longitudinally asufficient amount to close the cuts 20 until the aligned edge portionsarev in abutting contact. The cap 10 is then in suitable partiallypreformed condition inaccordance with the invention to be pushed downover a container neck 13 to be crimped thereon. By thus placing thealigned edges in abutting contactbefore the cap is pressed onto the neck13, the edges remain in abutting relation while the cap is being presseddown on the neck and provide the added strength desired when it isneeded.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, an annular portion of the skirt12 including the line of cuts 20 is bulged outward as indicated at 24.This annular bulge 24 enables the lower lips 23 to be offset to theinterior of the cap without reducing the inside diameter of the cap atthe line of cuts.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment in which the upper lips 22 are pressed inwardrelative to the lower lips 23. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the upperlip 23 is pressed outward. In both, as in the embodiments of FIGS. 36,the edges of the opposite lips are offset less than the thickness of theskirt. 7

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment in which the edges of opposite lips 22 and 23of the cuts 20 are brought into abutting contact by compressing areas ofthe skirt, which extend across the cuts 20, indicated at 25, to athickness less than the thickness of the remainder of the skirt 12. Thiscompression is accomplished by suitable rolling devices with the cap 10supported on a mandrel and causes the material of the skirt, aluminumfoil for example, to expand and creep until the edges of the cuts 20come together. As shown, only the areas across the cuts, and not thebridge portions 21, are thus compressed.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show embodiments in which a second line of cuts 30 ismade through the skirt 12 parallel to and coextensive with the line ofcuts 20.

In the embodiment of FIG. 10, the portions 26 of the skirt 12 extendingvertically between each pair of parallel cuts 20 and 30 are offset sothat the edges of opposite lips of each cut are offset an amount lessthan the thick ness of the skirt. Portions of the edges of oppositelips' are thus in alignment and the cap is compressed to bring thealigned edges into abutting contact.

In the embodiment of FIG. 11, as in the embodiment of FIG. 9, areas,indicated at 31, of the skirt 12 extending across both cuts 20 and 30 ineach parallel pair are compressed to bring the edges of the oppositelips into abutting contact.

FIGS. 1216 show a preferred embodiment of the invention in which edgesof the opposite lips 22 and 23 of the cuts 20 are in abutting contact ata number of spaced points along the cuts. In this embodiment, the lowerlip 23 of each cut 20 is bent in toward the interior of the cap anamount greater than the thickness of the skirt, as illustrated in FIG.16, and, as seen in FIGS. 13 and 15, a portion of the lip 23 is bulgedlaterally back out toward the upper lip 22 in the form of a bulge or rib32 so that an edge portion 32a of the rib 32 is in alignment with anadjacent edge portion of the upper lip 22 an amount equal to at least apart of the thickness of the skirt. Then the cap is longitudinallycompressed an amount to bring the aligned edge portions in abuttingcontact as shown in FIG. 15. As shown at 33, an annular portion of theskirt 12 including the line of cuts 20 is bulged outward and, as bestseen in FIG. 16, permits the offsetting of the lower lips 23 toward theinterior of the cap without reducing the inside diameter of the cap atthe line of cuts.

Any number of spaced apart bulges or ribs 32 may be provided along eachcut, but, in the preferred form, shown in FIGS. 12-16, a single rib 32for each cut spaced midway between consecutive bridge portions 21 issuitable and provides the additional strength desired to resist damageto the bridge portions 21 when the cap 10 is pressed onto a containerneck 13.

In the method of making an annular weakened portion in a cap 10 inaccordance with the invention, the various steps are preferablyperformed in one continuous operation. For example, the formation of anannular bulge, the cutting, the alignment of the edges of opposite lipsof each cut or the formation and alignment of the ribs 32, andlongitudinal compression of the cap to bring the aligned edges intoabutting contact are preferably performed as a single continuousoperative step by applying a combination of appropirate cutting androlling tools together and in sequence while the cap is supported on asuitable mandrel.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of the present inventionmay be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it isto be understood gagement therewith, said cap having an elongated lowerskirt adapted to extend below the threaded portion of said neck when thecap is in position thereon, said lower skirt having a plurality ofelongated horizontal cuts therethrough spaced apart in a linecircumferentially around the skirt with narrow bridge portions leftbetween the cuts to provide breakable connections between the portionsof the skirt above and below said line, and edge portions of theopposite lips of each cut being in abutting contact.

2. The cap of claim 1 in which the abutting edges of each out arelaterally offset and are in abutting contact less than the thickness ofthe skirt.

3. The cap of claim 1 in which areas of the lower skirt between saidbridge portions and extending across said cuts in a vertical directionare compressed toa thick ness less than the thickness of the remainderof the skirt.

4. The cap of claim 1 in which the edges of the lips of each cut arelaterally offset and in which a portion of one of the lips is bulgedlaterally back toward the other lip with a portion of the edge of saidbulged portion in abutting'contact with the edge of the opposite lip.

5. The cap of claim 5 in which said lateral bulges are all in the samedirection and in which said skirt has an annular bulge coinciding withthe circumferential line of cuts and bulging in the same direction assaid lateral bulges.

6. A partially preformed tubular closure cap of deformable materialadapted to be secured over the openended exteriorly screw-threaded neckof a container by being fitted down over said neck and crimped intoengagement therewith, said cap having an elongated lower skirt adaptedto extend below the threaded portion of said neck when the cap is inposition thereon, said lower skirt having a plurality of pairs ofparallel coextensive horizontal cuts therethrough, said pairs of cutsbeing spaced apart in a line circumferentially around the skirt withnarrow bridge portions left between the cuts in each horizontal line toprovide breakable connections between the portions of the skirt aboveand below said line, and edge portions of the opposite lips of each cutbeing in abutting contact.

7. The cap of claim 6 in which portions of the skirt extending from onecut to the other of each pair are laterally offset from the adjacentsurfaces of the skirt with edge portions of the opposite lips of eachcut in abutting contact laterally through the cut an amount less thanthe thickness of the skirt.

8. The cap of claim 6 in which areas of the lower skirt between saidbridge portions and extending across said cuts in a vertical directionare compressed to a thickness less than the thickness of the remainderof the skirt.

9. A method of forming a breakably connected ring at the lower end ofthe elongated skirt of a partially preformed closure cap for acontainer, said cap being made of deformable material and adapted to besecured on an exteriorly screw-threaded neck of a container by beingfitted down over said neck and crimped into engagement therewith,comprising making a plurality of elongated horizontal cuts through theskirt spaced apart in a line circumferentially around the cap, andaligning at least portions of the opposing edges of the lips of each cutin the plane of the skirt to provide aligned faces substantially normalto the axis of the skirt.

10. The method of claim 9 which includes offsetting the lips of each cutlaterally with respect to each other an amount less than the thicknessoverlap of said aligned edges is laterally less than the thickness ofthe skirt.

of the skirt whereby the 1 11. The method of claim 9 which includesoffsetting the lips of each cut laterally with respect to each other,bulging a portion of one lip of each cut laterally back toward theopposite lip until a portion of the edge of the bulged lip is alignedwith a portion of the edge of each cut laterally outward toward theopposite lip, tov

align a portion of the edge of each laterally bulged portion with aportion of the edge of the opposite lip.

13. The method of claim 9 which includes compressing areas ofthe skirtextending across each of said cuts between the ends thereof to cause thematerial of the cap to creep until aligned portions of the edges ofopposite lips of each cut are moved into abutting contact.

14. A method of forming a breakably connected security ring at thelowerend of the elongated skirt of a partially preformed closure cap fora container, said cap being made of deformable material and adapted tobe secured on an exteriorly screw-threaded neck of a container by beingfitted down over said neck and crimped into engagement therewith,comprising making a plurality of pairs of parallel coextensive elongatedhorizontal cuts through the skirt, said pairs being spaced apart in aline circumferentially around the cap, and aligning at least portions ofthe edges of opposite lips of each cut by pressing the metal between thecuts out'of alignment to a distance not exceeding the thickness of themetal of the cap, whereby the opposed edges of the cuts support oneanother in the direction parallel to the skirt.

15. The method of claim 14 in which portions of the skirt extending fromone cut to the other of each pair are laterally offset from the adjacentsurfaces of the skirt an amount less than the thickness of the skirt.

16. The method of claim 14 which includes compressing areas of the skirtextending across each of said cuts between the ends thereof to cause thematerial of the cap to creep until aligned portions of the edges ofopposite lips of each cut are moved into abutting contact.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 975,914 11/1910 Werner. 1,295,1682/1919 Hooker 220--27 2,056,778 10/1936 Fabrice 2l5-42 3,001,657 9/1961Gamble 2l5-42 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

DONALD F. NORTON, Examiner.

1. A PARTIALLY PREFORMED TUBULAR CLOSURE CAP OF DEFORMABLE MATERIALADAPTED TO BE SECURED OVER THE OPENENDED EXTERIORLY SCREW-THREADED NECKOF A CONTAINER BY BEING FITTED DOWN OVER SAID NECK AND CRIMPED INTOENGAGEMENT THEREWITH, SAID CAP HAVING AN ELONGATED LOWER SKIRT ADAPTEDTO EXTEND BELOW THE THREADED PORTION OF SAID NECK WHEN THE CAP IS INPOSITION THEREON, SAID LOWER SKIRT HAVING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATEDHORIZONTAL CUTS THERETHROUGH SPACED APART IN A LINE CIRCUMFERENTIALLYAROUND THE SKIRT WITH NARROW BRIDGE PORTIONS LEFT BETWEEN THE CUTS TOPROVIDE BREAKABLE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE PORTIONS OF